On Democracy, Unity, & Broadband

Probably like you, I made sure to make time to watch the Inauguration on January 20. Whenever a President is sworn in, his Inauguration speech sets the tone for his entire Administration. On January 20, I heard a celebration of democracy – and a call that, in the midst of the pandemic, economic disparity, racial inequity, and a climate in crisis, “unity is our path forward.” In our American democracy, we are called upon to inform ourselves, form our own opinions, and contribute to the debate so we can decide together what is best for our communities and our nation. The call for unity requires us to accept that there are differences, to reach the end of a debate, and to accept the decisions made in our democratic process. E pluribus unum. Although we have many voices, we remain one. Without that commitment to each other, our democracy dies, our nation fails. At the Benton Institute, we are not for broadband for broadband’s stake. We see it as the infrastructure of opportunity—an essential tool to ensure a thriving democracy. Inspired by the Inaugural and with Benton’s overarching goal in mind, I offer today our recommendations to ensure that everyone in the U.S. can use High-Performance Broadband. In the spirit of community, we share today not just Benton’s recommendations to bring broadband to all, but the great suggestions from groups around the country that have informed our thinking.

[Adrianne B. Furniss is the Executive Director of the Benton Foundation]